STixAWBERRY. 325 



ly fruitful. The same causes are operative in the 

 cultivated plant; and, if the transplanted sets or 

 roots are from unfertile stocks, no fruit can be ex- 

 pected, however vigorous the grovpth. The great- 

 est care, then, seems to be necessary in commencing 

 a bed or plantation to select productive plants, as in 

 this case, as well as most others, like produces like, 

 and, if unproductive ones are chosen at first, unpro- 

 ductive ones will be perpetuated and multiplied, and 

 the reverse if fruitful plants are selected. In some 

 instances, the non-bearing plants in a bed are the 

 most vigorous ; and, if attention is not given to 

 them, they will crowd out the bearers and occupy 

 the whole bed. On the subject of fertile and unfer- 

 tile plants, Mr. Downing makes the following very 

 just remarks ; 



" If any person will examine a bed of the Hudson 

 or any of the large scarlet strawberries when they 

 are in blossom, he will discover a great number of 

 plants that bear large, showy blossoms, filled with 

 fine yeUow stamens. These are the barren plants. 

 Here and there, also, he will discover plants bear- 

 ing much smaller blossoms, filled with the heads of 

 pistils, like a small green strawberry. The latter 

 are the fertile ones." 



By attending to these distinctions in selecting 

 plants to make new beds, or in separating those al- 

 ready made, fertile plants are ensured, and all dis- 

 appointment in the result avoided. If it is desira- 

 ble to cultivate the strawberry on a very dry soil, it 

 may be done either by incorporating clay marl with 

 the compost used, so as to render the soil more re- 

 tentive of water, or the beds may be made (instead 

 of being higher than the general surface of the gar- 

 den, as they usually are) lower than the other parts, 

 80 as to receive as much of the water that falls as 

 possible. 



When we recollect the astonishing quantity of 

 this fine fruit that can be grovm cm a few rods of 



